The US president-elect has refused to rule out an attack on Greenland, a Danish self-governing island and NATO ally.
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00:00What do Donald Trump's threats to seize Greenland mean for Europe?
00:08Donald Trump has refused to rule out using military force to seize control of Greenland,
00:14a self-governing territory belonging to an EU member state, Denmark.
00:19Greenland is the world's biggest island and home to around 57,000 people.
00:24It has been part of Denmark since 1953 and an autonomous territory since 1979.
00:30While it's not part of the European Union, it does benefit from EU funding
00:34and Greenlanders are considered EU citizens.
00:37It is also part of the NATO alliance.
00:40The island is considered strategically important due to its position in the Arctic,
00:45where ice decline could soon allow more opportunities to drill for oil,
00:49mine for raw materials and open up more efficient shipping routes.
00:53US rivals such as Russia and China are tussling for power in the region.
00:58But Trump is now threatening to use military force against another NATO member state, Denmark,
01:04which it is technically obliged to protect under the North Atlantic Treaty.
01:09He's also expressed readiness to slap sanctions on Denmark if it doesn't cede control of the territory.
01:15European leaders have warned Trump against his threats.
01:19The principle of non-violence of borders applies to every country,
01:23regardless of whether it is in the east or in the west.
01:26Every state must abide by it, regardless of whether it is a small country or a very powerful state.
01:32It's an unwanted escalation two weeks before Trump is due to be sworn into the White House.
01:38Fears are already high in Europe that Trump will undermine NATO unity and sanction EU trade.
01:45But it also raises questions about Greenland's future as calls for independence from Denmark gain traction,
01:52a move which could further undermine the EU's strategic presence in the Arctic.